Adjustable garden chart



May 2, 1967 C. H. ROGERS 3,316,668

ADJUSTABLE GARDEN CHART 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OCTBE 5 6 7 /voVEME/e 3 (2,4 5

C. H. ROGERS ADJUSTABLE GARDEN CHART May 2, 1967 Filed Nov.

Y INVENTOR afestf. Hagen? #ffm/wy United States Patent Office 3,316,668ADJUSTABLE GARDEN CHART Charles H. Rogers, 12 Hideaway Lane, Norwalk,Conn. 06851 Fiied Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,694 10 Claims. (Cl. S0-117) This invention relates to a device for correlating informationrecorded on a plurality of indicia bearing strips.

The object of the invention is to provide such a device which will besimple, durable and easy to adjust.

The invention is best understood if the following description is read inconnection with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view with the cover partly broken away and with thenotice LAST FROST on strip 42 aligned with the points of reference 100.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE1.

FIGURE 4 is a detail view partly in cross section of an endless bandmounted on the cover and movable to adjust the calendar from year toyear.

FIGURE 5 is a side view partly broken away of the front end of thedevice with the cover in closed position.

FIGURE `6 is a side sectional view taken on the line 6-6 yof FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged detail view of :a portion of FIGURE `6 showingthe inter-relation of the outside reels with the corrugated journals ofthe middle reel in the front reel housing 16.

FIGURE 8 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 with the notification FIRST FROSTon strip 46 aligned 'with the points of reference 100, and

FIGURE 9 shows the device inverted to display a frost map pasted on theunder surface of the offset portion 12 of the base.

For the purpose of exempliiication the invention is disclosedhereinernbodied as yan `adjustable garden chart. It will be understoodhowever that the structure disclosed may be used for correlating variouskinds of information, such, for example, as the position of theconstellations which may be correlated `with various times of the yeart0 show which are visible and in what particular part of the sky.

Broadly the invention comprises two or more indicia bearing strips eachextending between a pair of reels spaced apart land referred to hereinas second or front and first or rear reels respectively, with the frontreels and the rear reels respectively mounted in axial alignment, thefront end of the device being the end nearer the user. Means areprovided by which at least one set of aligned reels may be engaged ordisengaged lfor rotation together or separately.

As shown herein the device comprises a base and a cover with threeindicia bearing strips each mounted on and extending between a pair ofrolls rotatably supported by the base so that the strip may be movedforwardly or rearwardly depending upon the direction of rotation of thereels. The strips may be endless but preferably the ends of each stripare secured to its supporting reels, as for example by adhesive tape. Astrip and its two reels are sometimes referred to herein as a scroll anda device with three scrolls is shown and described.

The reel mounting means or base has a raised flat central portion orinverted well 12, and end portions 14 and 16 defining reel h-ousingscomprising side walls 18, 29 and 22. and 22, 24 respectively, and endwalls 26 and 28 respectively. j A cover 30 is provided which extendsover the base and `1%,.316668 Patented May 2, 1967 is pivoted to thesidewalls 18 and 20 of the rear reel housing 14 adjacent the rear wall26, by the grommets g which extend through the sides of the coveras wellas through the said side walls of reel housing 14, as shown in FIGURES 3and 5.

The cover is slightly crowned, curving down at its ends to extend overthe end walls 26 and 28 of the reel housings 14 and 16, and providingclearance over the raised center portion 12 of the base sufficient forindicia bearing strips to move freely over the center portion 12` of thebase when the cover extends down on the outside of the side walls 18, 20and 22, 24 of the base. The part of the cover Awhich overlies theelevated central portion 12 of base defines transparent portions orwindows 36, 38 and 40 through which can be seen portions of the strips42, 44 and 46, extending over the said elevated central portion 12 ofthe base between their supporting reels.

For convenience one reel of each pair, the ones located in the rearhousing of the base, is referred to later herein, .as a first reel, andthe other reel of each pair, the ones located in the front housing, isreferred to as second reel.

Strip 42 is mounted on reels 48 and 5t); strip 44 is mounted on reels 52and 54; and strip 46 is mounted on reels 56 and 58.

Reels 48, 52 and 56 are mounted in axial alignment in the rear reelhousing 14 and are referred to in the claims as first reels. Reels 50,54, and 58 are mounted in axial alignment in the front reel housing 16and are referred to in the claims as second reels.

Reel 54 which is the center one of the three reels in the front reelhousing 16 has elongated journals 60, 62 which extend through thebearing ports b in the side walls 22 and 24 respectively. The cover sidewalls 32 and 34 are slotted upwardly from their lower edges with slots clwhich register with the portions of journals 60, 62 projectingoutwardly beyond the sidewalls 22 and 24, thus permitting the cover tobe raised and lowered without interference with the journals. On theouter ends of the journals 60, 62 knobs 64 and 66 respectively areprovided.

The reels 50 and ASti on either side of reel 54 are hollow tubularmembers or sleeves, floatingly mounted on the journals 60 and 62 whichextend through them. The peripheries of the journals are corrugated withlongitudinal grooves 68 and the tubular reels 50 and 5S are provided ontheir inner surface with a longitudinal ridge 70, the grooves and theridges being shaped as illustrated in FIGURE 6 so that the three reelsrotate front to rear, i.e. clockwise, freely and independently, butrotated counter-clockwise the ridges 70 on the inner surfaces of reels50 and 58 will frictionally engage the grooves on the surface of thejournals 60 and all three reels will turn together.

The three reels in the `rear reel housing 14 differ from the Ireels inthe front reel housing 16 in that the middle reel 52 is supported by theinner ends of outer reels 48 and 56, `and the three reels may bepositively interlocked for rotation together.

The middle reel 52 has journals 72 and 74 which, when the rear reels areassembled in housing 14, are inserted into Ibores 76 and 78 extendingfrom the inner ends of the outer reels 48 and S6. Coil springs f areprovided within the bores, between the ends of the journals and theinner ends of the bores respectively. At the mouth of the `bores theinner surfaces of the reels are further indented with bayonet type slotsl1, and pins p are provided on the journals 72, 74 of the middle reel52, adapted to enter the slots h respectively, and interlock the threereels when the end reels are pushed axially inward and rotated slightlyto cause the pins to become engaged in the olfset portions of the slotslz respectively.

62 respectively and The outside reels 48 and 56 have at their outer endsjournals 80 and 82 respectively, which extend through slots o in theside walls 18 and 20 respectively of the rear reel housing, and knobs 82and 86 are provided at the outer ends of journals 80, S2 respectively.The side walls 32 and 34 of the cover are slotted upwardly from theirlower edges with slots t which register with the portions of thejournals 80, 82 projecting beyond the side walls 18 and 20 of the rearreel housing 14, and so the projecting journals do not obstruct thecover 30 when it is moved between open and closed position.

It will be understood that when reels 48, 50 and 56 are not interlockedreels 48 and 56 may be turned separately by means of knobs 80 and 82,and that by pushing either outer reel 48 or 56 inwardly against theforce of its spring f and rotating the reel to engage its slot h withthe pin p on the opposed journal of middle rcel 52 reels 48 and 56 maybe separately interlocked with reel 52 to turn strip 42 or strip 46 withthe middle strip 44, or all three reels may be interlocked so all threestrips may be advanced together, by turning knob 86 clockwise or byturning knob 84 counter-clockwise. When one or more of reels 48, 52 and56 are turned to advance the strips from front to rear the correspondingfront reels will turn freely to unwind the strips wound thereonrespectively.

From the foregoing it will be understood that a plurality of scrolls,three scrolls in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein, areprovided which may be operated separately or together, separately torelate information carried by the indicia bearing portion of one scrollto the indicia bearing portion of another scroll, and together to relateinformation carried by both, or all of them, to some condition orcircumstance such for example as the season of the year.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein the indicia on thestrips comprises information for gardeners and tells in sequence what todo and when to act to grow and care for certain annuals, perennials,shrubs, etc. The middle indicia bearing strip 44 is a calendar, with theweeks shown transversely of the strip, and as it is advanced from itsfront reel 54 to its rear reel 52, over the vraised flat center portionof the base, the months of the year from January through December aresuccessively exposed to view through the middle window 38. The outerstrips 42 and 46 have thereon information as to what gardeners should doat certain times of the year, the information on strip 42 being relatedto the last frost and telling what to Vdo before and after it. Theinformation on strip 46 is related to the rst frost, and tells what todo in preparation for it, and things to do after it. The time of the rstand last frosts are important dates for gardeners in most regions, butsince these times vary greatly in different regi-ons, and in differentsections of each region, depending on altitude, location with respect toa large body of water, prevailing winds and ocean currents, etc., theapproximate dates of both the first and the last frost varies widely. Inorder to properly use the chart disclosed herein the user will have toinform himself as to the approximate dates for first and last killingfrosts in his neighborhood. Frost maps of the kind illustrated in FIGURE8 are readily available, being published by Governments, andAgricultural Authorities. Frost maps have lines on them indicating whenfirst o1' last frosts may be expected on stated dates. For example, theline identified in FIGURE 8 by the numeral 90 indicates that all placeson that line will probably have the first killing frost on September20th, while all places on line 92 will probably have the first killingfrost on October 25. In the illustrated embodiment of the inventionFIGURE 8 shows a last frost map of the United States of America, and forconvenience a chart user should have both a first and a last frost map.Such maps may ybe made a part of the subject device and fastened on theunder surface of the raised portion 12 of the base where they may beconsulted simply by inverting the device.

The. outer strip 42 has on it a notation LAST FROST, and information asto what to do before and after the last frost, which marks the beginningof a new gardening year. Similarly the outer strip 46 has on it anotation FIRST FROST, and information as to what to do in preparationfor the first frost, which marks the end of a gardening year, and whatto do after the first frost to protect plants, shrubs, etc. over thewinter. In order to meaningfully relate the information on strips 42 and46 with the calendar strip 44 points of reference 100, 100 are provided,which are shown herein in FIGURE 1 on the narrow portions of the cover30 between windows 36 and 38, and windows 38 and 40 respectively. Uponacquiring a chart of the kind disclosed herein the user first determinesthe probable dates for last and first frost in his neighborhood and thenadjusts the position of the strips so that thereafter he can advancethem all together and the outside strips will show through their windows36 and 40 information which will be pertinent to the month shown inmiddle window 38, and to the particular week which is aligned with thepoints of reference 100.

He does this for strip 42 by aligning the notation LAST FROST on strip42 with the points of reference 100, and also aligning with the pointsof reference the week of the month on strip 44 in which the last frostis likely to occur in the users neighborhood.

The user similarly adjusts strips 44 and 46 by aligning the notationFIRST FROST on strip 46 with the points of reference 100, and movingstrip 44 until the week of the month in which the rst frost is likely tooccur in his neighborhood is also aligned with the points of reference100.

Having made these adjustments for his location the chart is now readyfor use all year long and as the days go by all three strips are movedforward together.

By way of example information on the outside strips 42 and 46 may readas follows:

Strip 42 Calendar Strip Strip 64 Start cold frame, hot Feb. 21-27 Pruneroses, fruits, grape bed, seed dat. vine, flowering shrub (mulch). Resetheaved Feb. 28-Mar. 6 Peat on early bulb tips. perennial. Prepare newbed and borders. Top-dress pot and tub Mar. 7-13 Ready new lawn andplants. bare spots.

Start fruit spray schedule. LAST Fnos'r Fertilize perennials. Mar. 14-20Seed lawn and spots. Set out biennials, Mar. 21-27 Remove winterprotechardy annual tion gradually. seedlings,

Mums, carnations, tie Oct. 3-9 Xmas cherry. pepper, and disbud. annualsfor indoor, Fertilize roses, plant lift and pot.

new. Plant spring bulbs. Sow annuals for sprint,7 Oct. 10-l6 Mulchoverwinter veg- Sow new lawn. etables, strawand raspberry.

rms'r Fnosr Oct. 17-23 Clear dead stems and trash from flower and veg.gardens.

Oct. 24-30 Litt and store dahla,

canna, tub. begonia, glads, ete.

Cut frost-killed mums. Oct. 31-Nov. 6 Winter protect tender Hill soil atrose base. plants, shrubs. Plant dormant trees, shrubs, tulips.

The information on strips 42 and 46 will of course vary according to thesection of the country in which the chart is to be used and differentstrips may be supplied for different localities.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the middle orcalendar strip 44 is advanced when all three reels 38, 52 and 56 areinterlocked, or when reel 52 is interlocked with either reel 48 or 56.The calendar month in which the users locality is likely to have itslast frost may be placed under window 44 by interlocking reels 48 and 52and moving the strips 44 and 46 forward together until the desired monthappears in window 38 with the desired week aligned with the points ofreference 100, 100. Reels 48 and 52 are then unlocked. The notation LASTFROST on strip 42 maybe then aligned with the points of reference 100,100 by turning reel 48 counterclockwise to advance strip 42 alone.Strips 42 and 44 are now adjusted to ane another and they may 'beadvanced together by interlocking reels 48 and 52 and turning knob 84.

Strip 46 may now be aligned with strips 40 and 42. These two strips arenow advanced together until the calendar month in which the userslocality is likely to have its first frost appears in window 44 with thedesired week aligned with the points of reference lili), 100. Finally,the reel 56 alone is turned to advance strip 46 until the notation FIRSTFROST thereon is aligned with the points of reference, after which reel56 is interlocked with middle reel 52, and, with all three rear reels48, 52 and 56 now interlocked the now interrelated three strips arerewound simultaneously on their front reels 50, 54 and 58, by turningknob 64 clockwise, or turning knob 66 counterclockwise until the firstweek in January is aligned with the points of reference 100, 100.Thereafter, for the remainder of the year, with the rear reelsinterlocked, the three strips 42, 44 and 46 are advanced together byturning either or both knobs 84 and 86.

If a mistake is made and one of the strips is wound forwardly too farrelative to the other two strips it may be rewound separately on itsfront reel by holding the other front reels stationary in any suitableway, the simplest and preferred way being manual. While there isfriction between the journals 60, 62 and the reels 50 and 58, tending tomake all three rear reels rewind together, this frictional engagementcan readily be overcome by holding the reels for the strips other thanthe strip to be rewound, in which case the grooves or ridge of themoving reel will slip overthe opposing ridge or grooves of thestationary reel or reels.

At the end of a year it is not necessary to obtain and insert a newcalendar strip. Instead it is only necessary to move endless band 94forward one letter. Band 94 extends through the two slots 102, 102 whichare directly above, and longitudinally aligned with the lateral edges ofwindow 38. On band 94, spaced to head the seven longitudinal columns ofnumbers comprising each month on strip 44, are the letters S M T W T FS, repeated around the band, and standing of course for the seven daysin a week. By turning band 94 the distance between two of these letters,bringing the letter M for example over a column of numbers nextadjoining the column above which the M was disposed for the previousyear, in place of W for example, the chart is made ready for the nextyear.

There has thus been provided a device in which the above mentionedobject is attained in a simple, practical and dependable manner.

What I claim is:

1. A device for correlating information contained on three indiciabearing strips which comprises, three pairs of reels on which the stripsare respectively supported, each pair of reels comprising a first reeland a second reel, means for mounting the three first reels in axialalignment, for rotation separately, means for interlocking either orboth end reels of said three first reels for rotation with the middleone of said three first reels, and means for rotatably mounting thethree second reels in axial alignment, in spaced relation longitudinallyof the strips from the three first reels.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 in which said second reels arerotatable separately in one direction, and means are provided forinterlocking all three of the second reels for rotation together whenany one of them is rotated in the opposite direction.

3. The device claimed in claim 1 in which the middle reel of the threefirst reels is provided with axially extend ing spindles, and the endreels of said three first reels are tubular and adapted to respectivelyreceive the spindles of the middle reel and to be fioatingly mounted onsaid spindles, the spindles and the opposed inner ends of the tubularend reels having means adapted to coact for interlocking all three reelsfor rotation together.

4. The device claimed in claim 2 in which the middle of the three secondreels is provided with axially extending spindles and the end reels aretubular and adapted to be slid endwise onto the spindles respectively,the spindles and the interiors of said end reels being provide-d withopposed contact surfaces such that the end reels will freely rotate inone direction on said spindles and relative thereto but will becomeinterengaged with said spindles, causing all three second reels torotate together, when any one of said second reels is rotated in theopposite direction.

5. The device claimed in claim 1 including a support comprising a basedefining two reel housings spaced apart by an intermediate portion thesaid three first reels being mounted in axial alignment in one of saidhousings and the said three second reels being mounted in the other ofsaid housings, and the said three in-dicia bearing strips extending overthe said intermediate portion and each strip moving across it intravelling between the pair of reels on which it is mounted.

6. The device claimed in claim 1 including a support comprising a basedefining two reels housings spaced apart by an intermediate portion thesaid three first reels being mounted in axial alignment in one of saidhousings and the said three second reels being mounted in the other ofsaid housings, and the said three indicia bearing strips extending overthe said intermediate portion and each strip moving across it intravelling between the pair of reels on which it is mounted, and a coveradapted to fit over the base and defining one or more windows disposedto be located over the said intermediate portion of the base when thecover is in place over the base.

7. The device claimed in claim 1 including a support comprising a basedefining two reel housings spaced apart by an intermediate portion, thesaid three first reels being mounted in axial alignment in one of saidhousings and the said three second reels being mounted in the other ofsaid housings, and the said three indicia bearing strips extending overthe said intermediate portion and each strip moving across it intravelling between the pair of reels on which it is mounted, and a coveradapted to fit over the base and defining one or more windows disposedto be located over the said intermediate portion of the base when thecover is in place over the base, and a point of reference on the portionof the cover adjacent said windows with which selected indicia on thestrips respectively may be aligned to adjust the relative position ofthe strips and thereby correlate information carried by the stripsrespectively.

8. The device claimed in claim 5 including an endless indicia bearingband an-d means for mounting it at right angles to said indicia bearingstrips, for rotation transversely of said strips.

9. The device claimed in claim 6 in which the end reels of a set ofaxially aligned reels have at their outer ends journals carrying knobsby which the reels may be rotated and the side walls of the housing inwhich said reels are mounted have ports through which the respectivejournals extend.

7 8 10. The device claimed in claim 6 in which the end References Citedby the Examiner reels of a set of axially aligned reels have at theirouter UNITED STATES PATENTS ends journals carrying knobs by which thereels may be which register with portions of the journals projecting1,258,360 3/1961 France.

beyond the side walls of the said housing, whereby the n projectingjournals do not obstruct movement of the 10 EUGENE R CAPOZIOPHHm'yE'Wmmel' cover between the open and closed portions. W. J. CONTRERAS,Assistant Examiner.

1. A DEVICE FOR CORRELATING INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THREE INDICIABEARING STRIPS WHICH COMPRISES, THREE PAIRS OF REELS ON WHICH THE STRIPSARE RESPECTIVELY SUPPORTED, EACH PAIR OF REELS COMPRISING A FIRST REELAND A SECOND REEL, MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE THREE FIRST REELS IN AXIALALIGNMENT, FOR ROTATION SEPARATELY, MEANS FOR INTERLOCKING EITHER ORBOTH END REELS OF SAID THREE FIRST REELS FOR ROTATION WITH THE MIDDLEONE OF SAID THREE FIRST REELS, AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY MOUNTING THETHREE SECOND REELS IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT, IN SPACED RELATION LONGITUDINALLYOF THE STRIPS FROM THE THREE FIRST REELS.